Office-based navigation courses might sound unusual at first, but over the years they have proven to be a surprisingly effective and engaging workplace activity.
For many people, the words “workplace training” do not immediately create excitement. Mandatory compliance sessions, lengthy presentations and awkward team-building activities are often what come to mind first.
Yet office-based navigation courses consistently create a very different atmosphere, bringing colleagues together through practical learning, problem solving and shared challenges.
At First Class Sailing, we have been running office-based RYA navigation courses since 2001. What started as occasional requests from small groups of sailing enthusiasts has gradually developed into a surprisingly social and engaging workplace activity.
Many courses begin with just one person asking colleagues: “Would anyone be interested in learning navigation after work?”
A few conversations later, a meeting room gets booked, the word is spread and a weekly evening class quietly takes shape.
A Different Type of Workplace Learning
One reason navigation courses work so well in offices is because they feel very different from normal work-based training.
People are not discussing quarterly targets, emails or spreadsheets. Instead, they are solving practical challenges together:
- plotting courses on charts
- working out tides and tidal streams
- planning offshore passages
- learning weather forecasting
- and working out how to navigate safely between ports
The focus becomes collaborative and practical rather than corporate.
Interestingly, this often changes the atmosphere in the room completely.
People from different departments and levels of seniority naturally start working together in a far more relaxed way than they normally would during the working day.
Everyone starts with the same chart and the same tidal calculations ahead of them.
Bringing People Together After Work
Many businesses continue to look for ways to encourage colleagues back into the workplace and rebuild more social office environments.
Navigation courses can help with that in a surprisingly natural way.
Office-based RYA navigation course in progress
Unlike some organised workplace activities, learning navigation gives people:
- a shared challenge
- a clear sense of progression
- and practical real-world skills they can continue developing outside work
The courses are structured enough to feel extremely worthwhile, but informal enough to become an enjoyable part of the week.
Over the years we have seen colleagues who barely interacted during the working day end up sailing together on weekends, joining sailing holidays or progressing onto offshore adventures together.
For many people, the course becomes far more than just an evening class.
No Sailing Experience Required
One of the biggest misconceptions about navigation courses is that people need sailing experience before joining.
In reality, many participants begin with little or no previous knowledge.
Courses such as the RYA Day Skipper Theory Course are specifically designed to introduce people to chartwork, navigation, tides, weather forecasting and passage planning from the ground up.
For some, the theory course becomes the first step towards learning to sail properly, before progressing onto practical weekends and other London sailing courses. Others simply enjoy the intellectual challenge and social aspect of the course itself.
From Office Boardroom to Real Sailing
One of the more interesting aspects of office-based navigation courses is how often they lead to practical sailing experiences later on.
Putting theory into practice on the water
Many people who first discover sailing through an office theory class eventually progress onto:
- practical RYA sailing courses
- sailing weekends
- mile building trips
- yacht racing events
- sailing holidays
- and even offshore passages
For some, it opens the door to an entirely new hobby and community.
For others, it simply becomes an enjoyable weekly activity shared with colleagues and friends.
Easier to Organise Than Most People Expect
Many office-based courses are not organised formally through HR departments at all.
More commonly, one enthusiastic person gathers interest internally while First Class Sailing handles:
- the instructor
- bookings and any course questions
- course administration
- and teaching materials
All that is usually required is a meeting room and a group of interested participants.
We regularly deliver RYA navigation courses in offices across London, with courses usually running over several evenings after work and a weekend.
Why They Continue to Work
After more than two decades of running office-based navigation courses, one thing has remained consistent:
people enjoy learning something practical together in a relaxed environment outside their normal working roles.
Perhaps that is why navigation courses continue to work surprisingly well in offices.
They combine:
- practical learning
- social interaction
- real-world skills
- intellectual challenge
- and genuine progression
in a way that very few workplace activities manage to achieve.
Interested in Running a Navigation Course at Your Workplace?
Many office-based navigation courses begin with just one or two colleagues sounding out interest internally.
If you think an after-work navigation course could work well at your office, we’re always happy to have an informal conversation about possible course formats, timings and group sizes.
Contact First Class Sailing to discuss ideas or ask questions with no obligation.
